Feeding mechanism for ensilage-cutters.



0. F. HALDEMAN. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ENSILAGB OUTTEBS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1913 I Patented Apr 28, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

O. F. HALDEMAN.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ENSILAGB GUTTERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1913 1,094,557, I Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vwemiioz COLUMBIA PLANOORAPN co, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. HALDEMAN, OF SALEM, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SILVER MANUFAC-TUBING COMPANY, OF SALEM, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ENSILAGE-CUTTERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. T'IALDE MAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county ofColumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful FeedingMechanism for Ensilage-Cutters and the like, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in feeding mechanism for ensilagecutters and the like in which a plurality of rotating heatersareemployed in connection with the usual mechanism employed in conveyingthe material to the cutter head.

The objects of the present invention are, first, to provide a pluralityof rotating beaters arranged above the conveyer apron and in front ofthe ordinary feed rolls, whereby the material is moved endwise and tothe cutter head; second, to prevent by the use of the beaters thestopping or choking of the material being fed; third, to gradually forcethe material downward and upon the endless conveyers; and fourth, toprovide means whereby the positions of the heaters are varied tocompensate for greater or less quantities of material fed at any onetime. These objects, together with other objects readily apparent tothose skilled in the art, I attain by the construction illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, although my invention may be embodied in avariety of other mechanical forms, the construction illustrated beingchosen by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side view taken from the sidecontaining the gear designed to rotate the upper and lower feed rollsexcept such part of the gearing as is common to drive the gearillustrated. Fig. 2 is a view showing the opposite side of the machinefrom that illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection showing the different parts properly arranged. Fig. 4 is avertical longitudinal section showing different positions of the upperfeed roll and the beaters in full and dotted lines. Fig. 5 is aperspective view showing the front end of the device. Fig. 6 is adetached perspective view of one of the heaters. Fig. 7 is a viewshowing one of the beater carrying bars and a portion of one of theupper feed roll controlling bars. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectionalview show,- ing different positions of one of the feed Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed. December 4, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 804,578.

roll controlling bars and one of the beater carrying bars showing saidparts in different positions in full and dotted lines, the full linesshowing said parts in their normal positions and the dotted lines intheir positions assumed during the time material is being fed to andbetween the feed rolls to the cutter head.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a portion of the frame whichis of the usual construction and its detailed construction does not haveto do with the present invention except to construct it in such a mannerthat the various parts can be properly attached. To the frame 1 areattached in any convenient and well known manner the side members 2which side members are preferably formed of metal and are held in properrelative position with reference to each other in any convenient andwell known manner common to ensilage or feed cutters of the type towhich this invent-ion pertains. The lower feed roll 3 is journaled inthe usual manner in suitable bearings and the upper feed roll 4 properlyjournaled in the controlling bars 5.

For the purpose of allowing the upper feed roll to move to and from thelower feed roll to at all times properly compress all material, and insuch a manner that the rotation of said feed rolls will move thematerial toward the cutter head, the upper feed roll is journaled in thecontrolling bars 5, said controlling bars and the feed roll being heldin their lowermost positions by means of the spring bars 6 which areconnected to the bottom or lower ends of the controlling bars 5 and forthe purpose of allowing for the vertical movement of the upper feed rollthe side members 2 are provided with the elongated slots 7, throughwhich elongated slots the shaft 8 upon which the feed roll is mountedpasses.

For the purpose of maintaining the proper geared relationship as betweenthe upper and lower feed rolls, the gear wheels 9, 10, 11 and 12 areprovided. The gear wheels 10, 11 and 12 being held in proper mesh bymeans of the links 13 and 14:. Thegearing here described having to dowith the rotation of the feed rolls does not enter into the presentinvention so far as its detailed construction is concerned and are shownin this instance in a conventional manner for the purpose of betterillustrating the improvements pertaining to my present invention.

The controlling bars 5 are each provided with the angled extension 15,to which extensions are pivotally attached the beater carrying bars 16in which beater carrying bars the shafts l7 and 18 are properlyjournaled, said shafts extending through the elongated slots 19 and 20formed in the side members 2. For the purpose hereinafter described theslots 19 and 20 are located in different angles; that is to say the slot19 being inclined to a vertical line less than the slot 20, the heatersproper are substantially of the form shown in Fig. 6, and as shown theyare made u of the end disks 21 and 22 and the beater blades 23 and 24.In the drawings I have shown four beater blades, but this number may beincreased or decreased and the same objects accomplished.

I have discovered that in devices of the kind to which my inventionpertains in which a stationary inclined cap or cover is employed, thatit frequently happens that one or more stalks of the material being fedinto the machine proper becomes clogged or stopped against the undersideof the cap or cover and in some instances trouble is caused by a bendingof the stopped or clogged material, thereby causing a choking effect tothe remainder of the material being fed to the cutter head and in orderto overcome this difficulty I place the heaters in substantially thesame position as that occupied by the ordinary and common inclined capor cover.

It will be understood that by the rotation of the heaters the uppermoststalks of the material will be pressed downward and carried forward,thereby preventing any clogging or choking. I prefer to use a series ofheaters, the beater near the feed rolls being located in a plane belowthe beater located farther away or in front of the lowermost heater, bywhich arrangement the forward and uppermost heater will compress or movedownward any stray or straggling stalks as they come under and incontact with said uppermost beater, thereby bringing the material intoproper position to be acted upon by the lowermost beater and finally tobring all of the material into proper position to he passed through thefeed rolls and to the cutter head.

Upon the lower feed roller shaft 25 is located the sprocket wheel 26from which sprocket wheel leads the drive chain 27 which drive chain islocated around the sprocket wheel 28 which sprocket wheel is mountedupon the shaft 29, upon which shaft is mounted the power roller or drum30, which imparts motion to the endless conveyer 31. This constructionand arrangement is of the ordinary construction and is illustrated forthe purpose of fully disclosing the connection between what is old andmy improved parts. Upon the shaft 8 upon which the upper feed roll 4 ismounted is securely mounted the sprocket wheel 32, from which sprocketwheel leads the drive chain 33, said drive chain being located aroundthe sprocket wheel 34, which sprocket wheel is mounted upon thelowermost beater shaft 17. Upon the lowermost heater shaft 17 is locatedthe sprocket wheel 37, from which sprocket wheel leads the drive chain38, which drive chain is located around the sprocket wheel 39, saidsprocket wheel being securely mounted upon the lowermost beater shaft17.

It will he understood that when rotary motion is imparted to the upperfeed roll 4: and its shaft by means of the gear wheel 12, rotary motionwill be imparted to the sprocket wheel 32 and by means of the variousdrive chains and sprocket wheels the beater shafts together with theheaters will be rotated.

It will be understood that the heaters should be positively rotatedunder all circumstances and by providing the drive chains 33 and 37 theupper feed roll can move to and from the lower feed roll withoutinterfering with the driving of the heaters.

As the upper feed roll is carried upward the spring controlled bars 5will move upward with said upper feed roll, thereby moving the pivotedend of the beater carrying bars 16 upward with the bars 5, whichmovement lifts the lowermost heater and at the same time lifts and movesout-ward a short distance the uppermost heater. The heater carrying barsin a sense constitutes what might be termed the hypotenuse of a triangleand as the bar is moved toward an imaginary side of a triangle it has atendency to be moved upward at its pivoted end and also longitudinally,by which action the uppermost heater is moved slightly forward andupward. It is by reason of the peculiar movement of the heater carryingbars that it becomes necessary to incline the slots 19 and 20 atdifferent angles so that the heater carrying bars are free to move andat the same time carry with them the heaters. By providing means forchanging the position of the heaters they are automatically adjusted toproperly control the material as it is fed to the cutter head.

In the drawings two heaters are illustrated but in some instance asingle heater may be employed and in other instances morethan twoheaters, reference being had to the size of the machine and at the sametime the material designed to he acted upon.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame,side plates secured to said frame, said side plates provided withelongated slots located at different angles to each other,beatercarrying bars, heaters journaled in said carrying bars, the shaftsof said heaters located through the elongated slots, means adapted tomove the beater carrying bars and means for imparting rotary motion tosaid heaters.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame,side plates secured to-said frame, said side plates pro vided withelongated slots located at different angles to each other, beatercarrying bars, heaters j ournaled in said carrying bars, the shafts ofsaid heaters located through the elongated slots, means adapted to movethe beater carrying bars and means for imparting rotary motion to saidheaters, and feed rolls, one of said feed rolls journaled in bars andthe beater carrying bars pivotally connected to said roll carrying bars.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame,side members secured to said frame, said side members being providedwith elongated slots located at different angles to each other, a cutterhead, feed rolls, one of said feed rolls adapted to move to and from theother, means for controlling the movement of the movable feed roll, barsadapted to be actuated simultaneously with the movement of one of thefeed rolls, beater carrying bars connected to the bars actuated by themovable feed roll, heaters journaled in said carrying bars, the shaftsof said heaters located through the slots in the side members, and meansfor communicating rotary motion to said heaters.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame,side members secured to said frame, said side members being providedwith elongated slots located at different angles to each other, a cutterhead journaled in the frame, feed rolls, one of said feed rollsjournaled in movable bars, feeder carrying bars pivotally connected tothe bars carrying one of the feed rolls, the shafts of the heaters beinglocated through the slots in the side members secured to the frame, andmeans for imparting rotary motion to the series of heaters.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame,side members secured to said frame, said side members being providedwith elongated slots, said slots lo cated at different angles to eachother, a cutter head journaled in the frame, feed rolls, one of saidfeed rolls ournaled in movable bars, beater carrying bars pivotallyconnected to the movable bars, and actuated by the mov able feed rolls,said heater carrying bars normally located at an angle to a horizontalline, a series of heaters carried by said heater carrying bars, theshafts of said heaters be ing located through the slots in the sidemembers of the frame and means for imparting rotary motion to theheaters.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. HALDEMAN.

\Vitnesses:

P. B. TUomR, H. A. VAN SYOO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

